WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF LOVE?

Scripture:

So now I am giving you a new commandment:
Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you
should love each other. Your love for one
another will prove to the world that you are
my disciples.
John 14:2 NLT

Reflection:

A healthy definition of love is crucial to
understanding the central message of the
Bible. According to the Bible, love is not
confined to sexuality, nor is it primarily a
feeling at all. The Bible teaches that love
is a commitment. As a commitment, love
is not dependent of good feelings, but
rather on a consistent and courageous
decision to extend oneself for the well-being
of another. That commitment then produces
good feelings, not the other way around. Jesus
became the perfect demonstration of God's
unconditional love for us by laying down his
life for our benefit.

adapted from TouchPoint Bible with devotional
commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers,
Tyndale House Publishers (1996), p 1227

The love we give away is the only love we keep.
ELBERT HUBBARD

WHAT MATTERS MOST TO GOD!

Scripture:

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,
[a] I plead with you to give your bodies
to God because of all he has done for
you. Let them be a living and holy
sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable.
This is truly the way to worship him.
[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs
of this world, but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way
you think. Then you will learn to know
God’s will for you, which is good and
pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 (New Living Translation)

Reflection:

I look around at various people in my life
and I see a vast diversity of what they do.
Some are ministers, some are maintenance
workers, many of my friends work in the
communication industry, some are out of
work, some are in school.
It seems that what we do is so very
important to us.
I have a question then, Is it important to God?

I believe what matters most to God isn't
what we do, it's who we are. I don't think
what accomplishments we pursue in life is
nearly as important as becoming the person
God created us to be. I think we need to use
our time we have in life, on earth, very well.
Each one of us needs to center our lives on
living up to our potential. I believe we need
to think and to pray for God's help and His
strength every day. We need to grow into
the person that God wants us to be. We need
to be someone who's free to live with love and
joy. We need to be a person who lives with and
loves our God. THAT'S THE PERSON I WANT
TO BE.

Prayer:

Oh mighty God, thank You for making me part
of you wonderful and marvelous creation. Lord
help me be the kind of person You created me to
be. Thank you God that through Your Son, Jesus
Christ, I am free to live with love and joy.

WALKING CLOSE TO GOD!

Scripture:

Psalm 15
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

Reflection:

I often have heard many a Christian say the following
statement, "Always walk close to God". That's really
basically what David is asking here."What kind of person
dwells close to God?" It seems to me that is a pretty
important question to ask. What kind of person is close
to God?
Well we are to be the kind of people who walk uprightly and
and do the right thing. Even through "doing the right thing" may
not be PC anymore. We are to speak the truth that comes from
our hearts. We are to refuse to backbite or gossip,
"Wow when's the last time I did that". As a matter of fact we
are not to do any evil to our neighbor. We are not to speak
badly or reproach a friend. We are to honor and
respect those who love the lord, and we are to keep their
promises even when it hurts.
And we are to be the type of people who lend money
without charging interest, in other words we don't have to
be out to make a buck. And we cannot be bribed to lie
about the innocent.
That's the kind of person who walks close to God! A good
and kind person who cares deeply about the people around
them, Who loves the truth and does all they can to help others.
DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU?
Remember: The closer we get to God, the more like Him
we will become. — David H. Roper

Prayer:

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

AMEN

PLEASE REMEMBER

DON'T TAKE LIFE SO SERIOUSLY!
DANCE
KISS A LOT
RELAX IN NATURE
HAVE FUN
AND BE HAPPY!!!!!

I want you to remember:

Every sixty seconds you spend angry,
upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness
you'll never get back.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive
quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And NEVER,
NEVER REGRET ANYTHING THAT
MADE YOU SMILE.
REMEMBER GOD LOVES YOU!!!!!!

PATHS TO PRAYER (3)

Whitney Hopler

There are many ways to pray -
many paths of communication that
can lead you closer to God.

Here are some different paths you
can take to prayer:

"Paying attention": When you meditate
on Bible passages, you can listen to the
themes of your own life as you notice the
connections. Ask yourself: "How is God's
Word intersecting in my life?", "Am I
meditating on a portion of God's Word that
is actually coming to life right now?", and
"How is Jesus leading me to follow Him
through these circumstances?". As you
pay closer attention to God's work in your
life, you'll start to notice it at all times and
in all situations.

"Feeling God's heartbeat": When you're
feeling sad or lonely, imagine yourself hugging
God so closely that you can feel His heartbeat.
Rest in His presence, enjoying His company
without any agenda to pursue with Him.
Contemplate the powerful reality that His Spirit
lives in you. Thank God for His great love for you.
Set aside time in your busy schedule to spend
with God in silence regularly. You'll receive more
peace from Him that will carry over into all of
your activities.

"Love": When you pursue intercessory prayer,
you become immersed in God's ongoing community
of love. Praying for others and allowing them to pray
for you invites God to pour His love into all of your
lives, drawing you all closer to Him in the process.

(final entry for Paths to Prayer)

Adapted from The Folly of Prayer: Practicing the
Presence and Absence of God, copyright 2009 by
Matt Woodley. Published by IVP Books, a division
of InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill.,
www.ivpress.com.
Matt Woodley is the senior pastor of Three Village
Church, Long Island, New York. He is the coauthor,
with his wife Julie and H. Norman Wright, of Surviving
the Storms of Life and the author of Holy Fools. He
has also written a number of articles published in
Discipleship Journal and Leadership Journal as well
as The Mars Hill Review.

Original publication date: February 3, 2010

(And remember to keep God in your life and talk
to Him often, HE IS THERE FOR YOU)

PATHS TO PRAYER (2)

Whitney Hopler

There are many ways to pray -
many paths of communication that
can lead you closer to God.

Here are some different paths you
can take to prayer:

"Absence": When God feels far away,
recognize that as a normal part of your
spiritual journey, but remember that
God hasn't abandoned you. He has
promised always to be with you, but
when you don't sense His presence,
you're experiencing it in a whole new
way. During the time that you feel
separated from God, He can wean
you from your attachment to immature
thoughts and feelings about Him and
help you grow to eventually see Him
in clearer ways, experience His love
more deeply, and let it flow through
you to others.

"An argument with God": When you
argue with God through prayer, you
can actually grow closer to Him by
engaging with Him in real, raw, and
honest ways. Be humble yet confident
about confronting God about an issue
in your life. God would rather have you
argue with Him than not care enough
to confront Him about what's troubling
you. Feel free to wrestle with God as
part of the process of passionately
pursuing Him. Don't be afraid to tell
God: "I love you, but I'm mad and
confused."

"A long, slow journey": When the
answers to your prayers take a long time
to come, you can learn to adjust your
lifestyle to God's timing. Remember that
prayer isn't primarily about getting
something from God right when you
want it; instead, it's about being with
God and allowing Him to change you
in the process. Waiting on God helps
you learn to trust God's good plans for
your life, even when you don't understand
or agree with His timing. Ask God to give
you the strength to be patient while you
must wait.

"A dangerous activity": When God
responds to your prayers by calling you
to grow as a person in uncomfortable ways
or make difficult sacrifices to help others,
praying can seem like a dangerous activity.
But remember that God wants to bless you -
just on His terms, not yours. While you
may pray to be relieved of your cares, God
wants to propel you into spiritual growth and
service. Invite Him to do the work He wants
to do in your soul and through your life.
You'll ultimately benefit in powerful ways
from it.

Adapted from The Folly of Prayer: Practicing the
Presence and Absence of God, copyright 2009 by
Matt Woodley. Published by IVP Books, a division
of InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill.,
www.ivpress.com.

(Will Continue)

PATHS TO PRAYER (1)

Whitney Hopler

There are many ways to pray -
many paths of communication that
can lead you closer to God.

Here are some different paths you
can take to prayer:

"Guttural groaning":
When you feel pain or doubt so deeply
that you can't express verbally, you can
simply groan in your spirit and God will hear.
The Holy Spirit within you will intercede to
God the Father for you to express what
you can't put into words. Guttural groaning
will open your heart to God's comfort,
hope, and compassion.

"Skin, trees, blood, bread, and wine":
When you pray using your physical senses
(such as seeing, hearing, smelling, touching,
or tasting), you can deepen your connection
to God. Start by celebrating Communion for
a powerful encounter with God. Then try other
sacramental approaches to prayer, like praying
with other people whose faces you can see,
touching someone you're praying for, praying
outside in nature, moving your body when you
pray (kneeling, raising your hands, dancing, walking,
making the sign of the cross, or anything else
God may lead you to do).

"Desperation": When you cry out to God
from the depths of your helplessness, God
hears you. Don't let either pride or insecurity
keep you from praying when you feel desperate.
Remember that Jesus has given you the freedom
and confidence you need to turn to God in the midst
of desperate situations. Open yourself up fully to
receive His help. Expect God to reach out to you.
Let the desperation you experience motivate you to
pursue God more and develop deeper compassion
for other people in need.

"Mystery": When your prayers go unanswered
and you don't know why, don't hesitate to ask God
questions and express your agony to Him. Choose
to trust God's promise that He will do what's best
when you pray. Realize that He may be using
unanswered prayers to change you for the better
as you go through difficult circumstances.
Understand that sometimes God will choose to
give you something more valuable than answers to
your prayers: Himself. Get to know the Giver rather
than just the gifts. Make your ultimate goal in prayer
to spend time with God instead of trying to get
something from Him. Ask God to help you surrender
your will to His will and trust that He will work out every
situation according to what's best when you invite Him
to do so.

Adapted from The Folly of Prayer: Practicing the
Presence and Absence of God, copyright 2009 by
Matt Woodley. Published by IVP Books, a division
of InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill.,
www.ivpress.com.

(Will Continue)

AM I A TALKER OR A DOER?

Scripture:

22Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

23Anyone who listens to the word but does
not do what it says is like a man who looks
at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets
what he looks like. 25But the man who looks
intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,
and continues to do this, not forgetting what
he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed
in what he does.
James 1:21-25 (New International Version)

Reflection:

These versus from the Book of James have
always hit home to me. When I was active
in the ministry, I considered myself a
somewhat Biblical scholar. I would always
look at the Scriptures and read the words
and decide how I was going to present the
words to my congregation. I very rarely
applied Gods words to my life. I quickly
became a man of a lot of words and not
a man that lived by those words. I was
not a man of action.
I began to see that this was true of my
congregation. We all talked the game
but we didn't participate. We would read
the word, and hear the word, but we
would not live by the word.
It is so very true what David C.
McCasland said,
When I study God’s Word, my first
question should not be, “What am I
going to say about this?” but “What
am I going to do about this?”
Remember what it says in James
2: 14-17: "4What good is it, my brothers,
if a man claims to have faith but has no
deeds? Can such faith save him?
15Suppose a brother or sister is without
clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says
to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and
well fed," but does nothing about his physical
needs, what good is it? 17In the same way,
faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.
ASK YOURSELF, "ARE YOU ALIVE OR DEAD".

Prayer:

Oh God as I look at and hear Your Word, I pray
that I apply Your Word to my life. Oh God
I want to be a doer of Your Word. Let my first
question be "What am I going to do about this?"

JUST AS I AM

"Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!"
Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871)

A simple invitation

"The simple message of the song
"Just as I Am" was so popular in the
early days of Billy Graham's evangelistic
crusades that it became a regular part
of the response to each appeal to make
a public commitment for Christ.

Charlotte Elliott seemed to have
everything going for her as a young
woman. She was gifted as a portrait
artist and also a writer of humorous
verse. Then in her early thirties she
suffered a serious illness that left her
weak and depressed. During her illness
a noted minister, Dr. Caesar Malan of
Switerland, came to visit her. Noticing
her depression, he asked if she had
peace with God. She resented the
question and said she did not want to
talk about it.

But a few days later she went to
apologize to Dr. Malan. She said that
she wanted to clean up some things
in her life before becoming a Christian.
Malan looked at her and answered,
"Come just as you are." That was enough
for Charlotte Elliot, and she yielded herself
to the Lord that day.

Fourteen years later, remembering those
words spoken to her by Caesar Malan in
Brighton, England, she wrote this simple
hymn that has been used to touch the hearts
of millions who have responded to Christ's i
nvitation to come just as they are."

from The One Year Book of Hymns by Mark
Norton and Robert Brown (Tyndale) entry for
June 22

ALL YOUR HEART!

Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Blondin was a 19th century acrobat, famous
for his tightrope act 160 feet above Niagra Falls
on a rope which was over a thousand feet long.
In 1860 a Royal party from Britain saw Blondin
cross the tightrope on stilts, and again blindfolded.
After that he stopped halfway and cooked and ate
an omelet. Next he wheeled a wheelbarrow from
one side to the other, and returned with a sack of
potatoes in it.
Then Blondin approached the Royal party. He asked
the Duke of Newcastle, "do you believe I could
take a man across the tightrope in this wheelbarrow?"
"Yes, I do" , said the Duke.
"Hop in, then" , replied Blondin.
Well, the Duke declined Blondin's challenge.
He might have believed Blondin could do it, but
he wasn't about to trust him with his life.

Reflection:

You see that's what trusting in the Lord with all your
heart is, "GETTING IN THE WHEELBARROW!".
Trusting God with your whole life.
God trusted us so much that He gave us a gift.
He gave us the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
If we accept this gift from God we are a forgiven
people, we are an eternal people.
Now we can't repay God for His gift, but we can give
God a gift back, the Gift of Trust. Now this gift of
trust to God means that we completely trust Him with
everything that is in us. It means that we don't rely
on anything else but God. We do not rely on our
own strength or the strength of others. We give
all the strength we have, both physically and
mentally to the will of the Holy Spirit. WE
TRUST GOD AND ONLY GOD!
HOW'S YOUR TRUST BEEN LATELY?

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.